The present invention relates to a useful system applied to production processes for sputtering targets with process of reuse of backing plates. Particularly, the present invention relates to a product management system for sputtering targets, and a host computer and a program for the system capable of smoothly transmitting and receiving various information via the data communications between a target customer and manufacturer to improve the production efficiency of the sputtering targets.
As a method for forming a thin film on a substrate, there is a sputtering method. The sputtering method is the one that thin film material which is called a sputtering target is collided with ions, such as Ar+, to sputter the target surface, and the sputtered particles from the target are deposited on the substrate disposed on a predetermined position, so that the thin film is formed on the substrate.
The sputtering target ST, as shown in FIG. 7, comprises a base which is called a backing plate BP and the target material TA adhered to the backing plate BP. The target material TA is, for example, produced by forming raw material powders for the target, and then sintering the formed product. After the sputtering target ST is used for the sputtering and the target material TA of the sputtering target ST is eroded away near the backing plate BP surface, the target material TA remained on the backing plate BP is removed from the sputtering target ST. Then, the backing plate BP is reprocessed, and a new target material TA is adhered to the reprocessed backing plate BP for reusing the backing plate BP.
In general, the backing plate is made of pure copper or cupreous alloy, in rare cases, stainless steel.
Heretofore, the sputtering targets are renewed by the manufacturer of sputtering target (hereinafter, it is simply referred to as a manufacturer) which receives an order from the customer of sputtering target (hereinafter, it is simply referred to as a customer). The manufacturer starts the production of the sputtering targets only after the customer orders. The customer prepares the backing plates based on the number of the ordered sputtering targets, and sends them to the manufacturer. The manufacturer starts making the raw material powders of the target according to the order, and forms the target materials out of the raw material powders. Thereafter, the manufacturer adheres the target material to the backing plate to produce the sputtering target, and delivers the sputtering target as a final product to the customer.
The backing plate is repeatedly reusable. The sputtering target spent by the customer is sent to the manufacturer again, and the residual target material is removed from the backing plate. Thereafter, an adhering surface of the backing plate is cleaned (reprocess of the backing plate), and the reprocessed backing plate is reused as the base of the sputtering target again.
FIG. 6(A) is an explanatory illustration showing a general production process of sputtering target.
At first, for example, hundred pieces of product target group delivered from the manufacturer to the customer are loaded onto a hundred of sputtering apparatus on the customer. Normally, the sputtering targets loaded onto the apparatus are completely spent within four or five weeks. The customer orders the sputtering targets for next time just before or after the complete consumption of the sputtering targets.
The manufacturer begins to arrange the raw materials for targets according to the order from the customer. The producing of raw material powders takes for the manufacturer about 6 weeks, and forming and sintering of the targets takes about three weeks under the present circumstances. In the meantime, the customer arranges sending of the spent sputtering targets, and then sends the spent sputtering targets in accordance with the time that the manufacturer has just formed and sintered the targets.
The manufacturer removes the residual target material from the spent sputtering target sent from the customer, and cleans the backing plate. Thus, the backing plate is reprocessed. The reprocessed backing plate is inspected whether it is reusable or not. When the reuse is possible, the newly formed target material is adhered to the backing plate. Then the product sputtering targets are sent to the customer. It takes about two weeks for the manufacturer from the reprocess of the backing plate to the adhering of target material. As described above, it takes at least about 11 weeks from the order of the sputtering targets by the customer to the delivery of the sputtering targets by the manufacturer in the general process of sputtering target production under the present circumstances.
On the other hand, as a result of the inspection, if it is judged that the reuse of the reprocessed backing plate is impossible, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the customer or the manufacturer arranges other backing plates in about two weeks to one month. That is, spares or stocks of the backing plate are sent to the manufacturer, or if there is no spare, the backing plates are newly manufactured at this time. The delivery is delayed for the arrangement for other backing plates. It takes about 14 to 16 weeks from the order of the targets by the customer to the delivery by the manufacturer.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the product management system on the manufacturer. A reference numeral 10 denotes a communication terminal device inputting or recording the order of the sputtering targets from the customer, and for example, provided on the sales division or the like on the manufacturer. A reference numeral 20 denotes a communication terminal device provided on each site (product management division, process and inspection section, forming section, raw material section, logistics section, or the like) of the factory. These communication terminal devices 10 and 20 are connected to an intranet server 30 and a DNS server 50 for LAN, so that the LAN within the company of manufacturer is configured. Further, a product management database server (for example, SQL server) 40 is connected to the LAN, so that the product management system in the manufacturer is configured. Thus, the information about the sputtering target product management, which is stored up in the SQL server 40 can be accessed or viewed with the respective communication terminal devices 10 and 20. As described above, the information with the electronic data about the sputtering target product management is only transmitted and received within the manufacturer in the earlier technique. The order entry from the customer, the order placement to a raw material manufacturer or the like is carried out solely by transmitting and receiving the analog data by telephone, facsimile, mail or the like.
According to the above-described production method, it takes a long time from the order entry to the delivery of the sputtering target products. In addition, the apparatus for producing sputtering targets or other apparatus in the manufacturer cannot run efficiently from the delivery to the next order, while the customer cannot use the sputtering apparatus or the like from the complete consumption of the sputtering targets to the next delivery of the new sputtering targets. Thus, the operation rate of the apparatus in the manufacturer and customer are reduced, so that the production efficiency cannot be improved.
The backing plate, whether it is reusable or not is inspected and judged only after the spent sputtering target which is sent back from the customer is reprocessed, transformed into the backing plate. Thus, when defective backing plate with a curvature or a scratch or other defects on the adhering surface, which is not found till the residual target material is removed from the backing plate, is found, the response therefore takes a long time, so that there is a case that the delivery date is further delayed.
The customer can prepare a plurality of sputtering target groups. After the first target group is completely spent, the customer loads the second sputtering target group onto the sputtering apparatus, and sends the spent first sputtering target group to the manufacturer, and then orders sputtering targets renewal. After the second target group is completely spent, the customer loads the third target group onto the sputtering apparatus, and sends the spent second sputtering target group to the manufacturer, and then orders sputtering targets renewal. In this way, if the plurality of sputtering target groups are prepared so that the sputtering target group can be loaded onto the sputtering apparatus in order, the sputtering apparatus can efficiently run. However, the customer is required to always have a great number of backing plates, which is not less than three times as many as a number of the sputtering apparatus, and to repeatedly recycle the backing plates. As a result, the problem that increase of the cost for manufacturing a great number of backing plates and for the management arises.
An object of the present invention is to provide a product management system for sputtering targets, a host computer for the same, and a medium storing a program for product management system by which the customer can use efficiently the sputtering apparatus, while the manufacturer can remarkably reduce the delivery time of the sputtering targets.
In order to accomplish the above object, a product management system for sputtering targets of the present invention comprises communication terminal devices on a plurality of customers ordering a sputtering target used for forming a thin film on a predetermined object by a sputtering method, a communication terminal device on a manufacturer producing a sputtering target according to an order from the customer, and a host computer managing an entire system. Each of the communication terminal devices on the customers, the communication terminal device on the manufacturer and the host computer is connected to each other via a predetermined communication network. The host computer comprises storage means for storing at least identifying information for tracking down each of the plurality of customers, identifying information for tracking down each backing plate which is used as a base of the sputtering target and to which a predetermined target material can be adhered, and hysteresis information recorded as a reused history of each backing plate. The reused history includes a usage count of the backing plate used as a sputtering target, categories of material type, quality and product class about every target material adhered to the backing plate, and a result of a judgment for scratch, curvature, or the like on the adhering surface of the backing plate to the target material at the reprocess and reuse of the backing plate, or the like. The host computer also comprises customer authentication means for determining whether a present accessor is authorized user by checking identifying information of registered customers. The communication terminal devices on the customers, when the present accessor is authenticated by the customer authentication means, are capable of accessing to the information stored in the host computer. The hysteresis information is updated with respect to each reprocess and reuse of the backing plate as a sputtering target, in accordance with the input data from the communication terminal device on the manufacturer.
According to the system, the customer can know in advance how many times the backing plate under customer""s hand will be used based on the hysteresis information of the backing plates. Thus, the customer sends only the spent sputtering targets having reusable backing plates when the customer orders the next sputtering targets renewal. On the other hand, the customer prepares other backing plates in advance for nonreusable ones. Thus, the possibility of finding of the nonreusable backing plate is reduced when the backing plate is reprocessed from the spent sputtering target, and inspected by the manufacturer. Accordingly, the trouble of extension of delivery date by ordering a new backing plate is reduced.
Product information about a production status of a sputtering target is stored in the storage means. The product information is updated every advance of the production process, based on input data from the communication terminal device on the manufacturer.
Thus, the customer can confirm the production status of the ordered sputtering target at real time, so that the customer can wait the delivery of the product target at ease. When the nonreusable backing plate is found by the advance judgment for the reuse of the backing plate, the customer has only to arrange another backing plate by the end of the target forming step on the manufacturer. Therefore, the customer can arrange the backing plate in a good timing depending on the production state on the manufacturer.
Expenditure information about a sputtering target delivered from the manufacturer is stored in the storage means. The expenditure information shows the beginning of use of the sputtering target loaded onto a sputtering apparatus on the customer. It is updated every beginning of use of the sputtering target based on input data from the communication terminal devices on the customers.
Accordingly, the manufacturer can estimate the next order, so that the manufacturer can arrange the raw material and confect the raw material powders in advance. Thus, the delivery date can be advanced. The expenditure information includes, for example, the date when the sputtering target is loaded onto the sputtering apparatus, estimated date of completion of use, identifying information of the backing plate used for the sputtering target, or the like.
Preferably, a plurality of communication terminal device on the manufacturer are installed in respective divisions and sections relating to the production of the sputtering target, and each of them is connected to the host computer via communication means, such as a local area network.
The system comprises a denial mechanism and means for preventing illegal access from a communication terminal device on outsiders who have no access right to the host computer. Thereby, the information shared only by the customer and manufacturer can be protected from the illegal access from outsiders, and then securely managed.
The host computer may comprise a reprocess judgment means for judging adequacy of reuse of the backing plate based on the hysteresis information. A program for judging adequacy of reuse of the backing plate based on the hysteresis information may be stored in the storage means. Then, the program may be executed, for example, when the judgment for the reuse is required.
The customer can judge whether the backing plate to be used for the next target is reusable from the hysteresis information. In addition, the manufacturer confirms whether the backing plate is reusable, thereby nonreusable backing plate is not sent. Further, the adequacy of reuse of the backing plate is automatically judged by the reuse judgment means, so that it can be surely avoided to send the nonreusable backing plate.
With respect to the automatic judgment for the adequacy of reuse of the backing plate, the adequacy can be accurately judged by using the database about the backing plates which have used. The database includes the relationship data between the usage count, the type of the adhered target material, the result of judgment for a adhering surface of the backing plate to the target material, and the adequacy of reuse of the backing plate.
The host computer may comprise production schedule planning means for planning a production schedule based on advance order information transmitted from the customer. The advance order information may include material type, quality, and product class to be used for manufacturing a next sputtering target and the identifying information of a backing plate to be used. The planned production schedule may be stored in the storage means of the host computer, and transmitted to the communication terminal device on the manufacturer. Particularly, a program for planning the production schedule of sputtering target based on the advance order information may be stored in the storage means. Then, for example, when the customer loads the sputtering targets onto the sputtering apparatus, the program may be executed soon after the advance order information is transmitted.
Accordingly, the production schedule may be sent to respective divisions or sections (for example, product management division, process and inspection section, forming section, raw material section or the like) on the manufacturer soon after the receipt of the advance order from the customer. Thereby, each division or section can prepare the target production in advance, so that the sputtering targets can be produced smoothly. The staffs in each division or section may modify the production schedule.